[Jason Stringer]

I just spent half hour trolling the IMDB Exorcist boards and that always seems to bring me down. It’s so depressing how many people post how they don’t get The Exorcist and how they didn’t find it scary, or they thought it was rubbish.

I so often hover my mouse over REPLY to plead a case for the greatest horror film of all time, but I resist. There’s no talking sense into them. They just don’t get it.

Thank Christ I have built this place to share the love with you all! Thank you so much for visiting and sharing my passion and enthusiasm for this film.

[Witch of Endor]

Interesting you should say this Capt. Personally, I first saw the Exorcist (original cut) on VHS at a party with classmates when I was 15yo. I thought I was pretty much past the point where any horror film could terrify me. Creep me out sure, but terror no. I was wrong. In fact I avoided the film for years after that. I recently decided to rewatch the film (the new cut) after I decided to purchase a copy of it for a friend of mine that was a Catholic priest. I thought he’d appreciate the film, and he did like it. I found the second viewing much different from the first. I don’t know if it was because I’d seen it before or because the new cut was so different, but my impression was totally different. Instead of being horrified I was actually amused and understood for the first time how some people find the film funny. Notwithstanding it was still a very beautiful and powerful film. I believe the problem is that the film is intended for religiously literate adults, not children. Given the wrong audience the film would be lost. In fact I found viewing the original cut at 15 to be quite confusing (and I’d like to think I was a teen of above average intellect) I think the new cut flowed much better and explained a lot of things. My confusion about the plot in the original cut may have actually contributed to its creepiness. In any case I would recommend the new cut over the original to anyone. That’s my two cents on the subject.

[Jason Stringer]

Thanks for your input dseabroo, and I hear what you’re saying.

There’s no denying how or why The Exorcist is lost on recent generations. It’s just a shame to read about it so frequently on the imdb boards is all. I don’t frequent there very often anymore.

[RatBoy]

I think it’s because kids today lack imagination because they grew up on video games and they lack an attention span that our generation is acustumed to… not to mention that they have no respect for the past.

For example, if a movie looks too dated from the era it was filmed in such as the 70s such as The Exocist or Halloween, they’ll turn it it off and crave a remake with more gore and characters wearing today’s fashion and cell phones. They just can’t identify with a character unless they’re angsty, whiny and caries a cell phone.

Kids today thinks that Rob Zombies crappy Halloween remake is superior and regards the original to be a borefest.

It’s because they lack the imagination to comprehend the suspence of that era and also because there’s no torture porn nor tons of blood and gore like Rob Zombie’s crappy remake.

Also they find honerable heroic characters such as Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode unrealistic and can better relate to the unlikable, whiney, angsty characters from the remake.

If the Exorcist were ever to be remade. Chris McNeal would have to a sleazy character that sleeps around with every guy in town. Father Merrin has to be an insane altar boy molesting priest. Lt Kinderman would have to be a younger hardass cop and Karris would have to be a constant drunk… otherwise the generation Y crowd won’t find these characters interesting.

Also, the remake would need to have much more gore and Burke Dennings murder scene must be shown on screen and it has to be a brutal death scene because everything must be spoonfed to them because they lack the imagination.

And when that day comes, they’ll hail the remake a masterpiece and the original will be regarded as a boring movie with unrealistic characters.

[Witch of Endor]

Hi Ratboy. Although I’m not sure I appreciate your analysis of the younger generation (I’d like to consider myself to young) I think your characterization of remake is spot on. The Dennings death scene WILL DEFINITELY be in the remake I can say this at least. The idea of making Merrin struggle with pedophilia is also interesting was there any hint of this in the book at all?

[kokumo]

“The Exorcist” is just about as perfect a horror film as could be hoped for. It’s hard to imagine anyone could deny it (unless they just wish to be obtuse). I can however understand why younger movie-goers might simply choose not to watch something two or three generation removed from their media experience. I like Zombies’ “Halloween” a lot,,,not quite as much as Carpenters’ version & most of the 20-somethings I work around who are into horror enjoyed it. For most, it was their introduction to the franchise. I don’t fault them for being interested in hunting down a copy of a pick 30 years old. Remakes are terrific. They give a new generation a chance to experience the legends we grew up with like “King Kong” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. A remake won’t detract from the orignal or alter a single frame of film. It keeps the story alive. Listening to freidkins’ commentary for “Bug”, he nods to the current style of film-making which is extremely different from the more formal approach which existed in the days of “The Exorcist”. He describes the rapidity of film direction today as ‘virtuoso’. The language of film is evolving as wildly as films are viewed and appreciated. It’s best, maybe, to try to keep up with the changes. I’m hoping ‘The Exorcist” does get redone, time & time again.

[GhettoExorcist]

It’s no secret that message boards are filled with males age 12 – 18. While that group can be brutally honest about their opinions they also must be able to prove how macho they are. I remember being afraid at that age and substituting my fears with a joke or something along those lines to ease my tension.

Some may consider that being afraid of a movie is some sort of weakness so they will try and trash it because it made them feel vulnerable and god forbid have a natural human instinct. Even now most people who admit to being scared by the movie will add some sort of quip such as “the movie scared me shitless” or “I nearly shit my pants when she spun her head around”.

My point is, this movie doesn’t have the “cool” mass murderer like Michael Myers, Jason, Freddy, Leatherface etc. What it does have is something that touches the very nerve that comes out and makes us feel truly vulnerable. Fear. I think more than anything these tweenies are lashing out at something that made them afraid. Just my two cents.

[fatherbowdern]

Good point, Captain. IMDB has very low ratings for James Cameron’s Titanic, too. When I was part of the official Exorcist Movie site promoting TVYNS, I noticed a tremendous amount of the youth bashing the film for being too slow and not gory enough. The only scene grabber was the crucifix in Regan’s crotch.

It’s not to say that all younger people don’t get it, but as Ghetto and RATBOY already analyze, it’s a new generation now that has grown up on blood and gore and simple philosophies that if it’s not “fixed” in under 30 minutes, then it’s crap because the attention span is lacking. God help some of them that are “tied and bound” to watch Citizen Kane! 😉

[RatBoy]

“It’s not to say that all younger people don’t get it,

but as Ghetto analyzes

, it’s a new generation now that has grown up on blood and gore and simple philosophies that if it’s not “fixed” in under 30 minutes, then it’s crap because the attention span is lacking. God help some of them that are “tied and bound” to watch Citizen Kane“

Uh, I thought that was my analyzes

[BlueFade]

Agreed, I try to post there every once in a while to defend the film, but there are too many teenagers there who just don’t understand the film at all. I feel embarrassed too because I’m part of that generation and I find The Exorcist to be a masterpiece, not just in the horror genre, but in all of cinema.

[jguthrie]

I’ve found that most of the opinions on IMDB boards are definitely mostly of young kids….their opinions mean absolutely nothing to me. The Exorcist is, and always will be, a visceral classic and the people that don’t appreciate this usually don’t have any taste anyway.

[RatBoy]

“Hi Ratboy. Although I’m not sure I appreciate your analysis of the younger generation (I’d like to consider myself to young) I think your characterization of remake is spot on. The Dennings death scene WILL DEFINITELY be in the remake I can say this at least. The idea of making Merrin struggle with pedophilia is also interesting was there any hint of this in the book at all?“

dseabroo,

I’m truly sorry if you were oiffended by my analysis but you clearly proved my point by stating that you wanted a onscreen brutal death scene of Burk Dennings and that Father Merrin would be more interesting character if he was a pedaphile.

[Jason Stringer]

What is already familiar is less scary. Spot on mego73. Nice post.

[fatherbowdern]

I agree with you mego wholeheartedly. I met a group of 18 to 20-year-olds coming out of the first screening of The Exorcist: TVYNS and their comments ranged from: “What a piece of shit!,” “We paid for that?,” “Oooooh, that was soooooo scary, NOT!,” “The special effects sucked!” And on and on and on.

The main complaint: “That was so boring!”

Granted, IMHO, they were wound up from something and that something may have been in the realm of thinking at least to some degree. Although, I would have hated for “those” particular younger people to have used a brain cell or two to see what it is that they were missing altogether.

It’s a shame.

[muddycrutchboy]

Hi everybody–my first post!

Now, I have to both agree and disagree with you here.

Let me begin by saying that right now I’m a 20 year old college student studying film theory and criticism. So I pretty much fall into the target group (IMDb is my homepage).

I believe that The Exorcist is the greatest modern horror film ever. I went to see it during the 2000 re-release and was hooked. Already I had been so desensitized to violence and gore that I found it difficult to be scared or upset by a horror movie anymore, The Exorcist changed that for me. I found it deeply disturbing and horrifying and was unable to sleep soundly for a few weeks afterwards (12 is too young to see this film).

But what stays with me to this day is this:

When I was in the theatre it was jammed full (I delibrately went to the latest showing on opening night for full effect). I looked behind me and a few rows back there were at least five kids who couldn’t have been more than 10 years old sitting together and laughing.

That was when I realized that they didn’t understand the film at all. You can’t understand this film and laugh at it, not even 35 years later.

I just saw it screened again last year for Halloween. Still the best ever. Don’t despair, there are those of us who, despite our youth, still appreciate this masterpiece.

[Author]

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